Chinese companies have an advantage in the field of lithium batteries. In recent years, the United States has blocked Chinese companies in various ways to avoid being stuck. At the same time, domestic institutions are also developing new batteries. Two universities recently cooperated to develop a new type of Kevlar zinc battery. Zinc-ion batteries themselves are not a new technology. In the past, they could not be popularized mainly because there were some technical problems that could not be solved, such as dendrite growth and hydrogen evolution reaction. Zinc ions would grow randomly, puncturing the separator and causing short circuits.
The two universities collaborating this time are Florida State University (FSU) and Florida A&M University (FAMU) College of Engineering.Their team used Kevlar nanofiber technology to create a new type of zinc battery. The hydrogel made of this material can act as a protective medium and inhibit dendrite growth.
After solving these problems, the advantages of zinc batteries are very obvious. Zinc ions are cheaper, environmentally friendly, the manufacturing process of water-based processing is simpler, and it is extremely safe.Kevlar + water-based electrolyte is not afraid of explosions, needle sticks and other accidental factors.
The service life is also very good,The current test has reached 900 cycles with basically no loss in performance.
However, zinc-ion batteries are not without their shortcomings. The energy density is only 60-120Wh/kg, which is two or three times less than the 250-300Wh/kg of lithium batteries. Therefore, they are heavier and are not suitable for light devices such as mobile phones and tablets. They are only suitable for low-end products for electric vehicles, even two-wheeled electric bicycles.
However, its characteristics are very suitable for energy storage products, with low cost, long life, and more importantly, no safety issues. It has the opportunity to replace lithium batteries in these fields.